Unresolved Sexual Tension
by a certain slant of light
Summary: Two very special guardians have a fight with their respective consciences. Can mental battles lead to a physical connection? [AuRikku]
1. Legendary Guardian

**Author's Note**: Welcome to "Unresolved Sexual Tension," a three-chapter-long ficlet about everyone's favorite politically incorrect pairing! I love this pairing, and as I'm playing through Final Fantasy X-2, my love for reading Final Fantasy X/-2 fanfiction has been rekindled, as has my love for writing it! (See old account: _Rikku of the Desert_ for previous fics.)

First up, I wanted the first chapter to establish a man's viewpoint. I read a lot of romance fanfiction where the guy's very... fluffy. I wanted to go more in depth with a sexual train of thought, because, girls, it's not all puppies and rainbows and coconuts. Well... actually, sometimes it is all coconuts. xD

**Disclaimer**: _Final Fantasy X _and _X-2_ and their respective characters, settings, etc. copyright Square Enix.

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"Unresolved Sexual Tension"

**Chapter One: Legendary Guardian**_  
_

_You dirty old man._

_You dirty, filthy old man._

My conscience barks at me again, its tiny voice surprisingly sharp and overpowering.

_You're a pervert._

Somehow, I know it's true. Yet, I don't feel nearly as ashamed as I know I should. In a way, that only serves to confuse me further.

Nonetheless, it is hardly my fault that she goes prancing around in short-shorts and only the tightest of tank tops, bouncing and tittering about and generally acting half her age. I don't think she quite acknowledges the… ahem… _areas_ she tends to inadvertently accentuate when she bobs up and down like that. Not that I'm complaining, by any means. Still, that being said, her innocence only proves to continually frustrate me and somehow make her that much sexier.

_She's over half your age!_

My conscience is right. She's fifteen. She's a minor. Of course, her age also insinuates that she's a nubile young nymph with more hormones than she knows what to do with.

_Are you even listening to yourself?_

Oh, I am. The more I listen, the less sane I sound. Strangely, the less sane I sound, the more sense I seem to make.

_That doesn't make sense._

I know. It's insane.

I don't quite know how to explain myself, and for that matter, if I even want to. She's an enigma, an anomaly. I've seen plenty of attractive, fantasy-inducing women in both my lifetimes, and bedded more than my fair share. I've lusted many times over, over many different and astonishingly magnificent specimens of the female species. Of course, in those cases, the women were all within the five year age range.

Still, since acquiring my… condition, I can't say I've felt any sort of longing, neither of the flesh nor the heart.

But then she came along.

_Here we go…_

Damn it all to the Farplane if it didn't originate at the Moonflow. Meeting her on the banks, truly seeing her for the first time as she slowly unzipped her armor in an indeliberately sensual way. Didn't she have any idea what she was doing? She's a fifteen-year-old with a body every man dreams off, and she goes around undressing like that?

Still, what's done is done, and I could tell right then and there that this pilgrimage would not be as… simple as I had once thought.

_And that justifies you being a horny old man… how?_

And yesterday hadn't helped at all. We were in Macalania Woods, fending off a chimera when_she_ gets knocked off her feet. Instinctively, I threw down my sword and lunged, managing to break her fall.

I tell myself I was acting out of conditioning, but now I'm not sure that was the case. Would I have thrown myself in for Tidus? Wakka? Lulu, even? I would have for Yuna, but I would have reflected briefly on it first. When Rikku was hit, not a single glimmer of a thought passed through my mind.

No matter what the case, you'd think a body like hers that would be able to land gracefully, but such was not the case. Soon we were both on the ground, a tangle of arms and legs, with her surprisingly heavy weight on top of me.

_Oh, fine, ignore me._

Still, the position we'd found ourselves in proved to be most… agreeable. What with her legs on either side of me, her modest breasts pressed against my chest, her head just over my shoulder. I couldn't help it. The sweet scent of spice and strawberries drifted from her hair, and before I knew it, I sniffed.

Not loudly or especially noticeably, but I'm sure she didn't miss it. She quickly scrambled off me, blushing profusely and mumbling apologies. I thank Yevon I was wearing tinted glasses, else my eyes might have displayed the lust I've been trying so feverishly to hide.

_You're depraved._

Yes, it seems wrong. An onlooker would easily dismiss these cravings as the senile fantasies of an old man's waning libido. Oh well, at least that gives this desire some level of reason.

Still, though I've come to accept it, I'm not sure I understand it myself. Everything she does, everything she says only serves to frustrate me. She's always so damn chipper and cheerful, and sometimes I wonder why she bothers going into battle at all, the way she fights. She must be the most naïve person I've ever come into contact with, and damned if she isn't clumsier than a one-legged chocobo.

Then again, I suppose her innocence is the basis for her attractiveness. Something about the way she's never got any ulterior motive. Not to mention the fact that she's constantly doing things that are unintentionally sexy is both adorable and incredibly erotic.

_You're mad as a hatter on too many chocobo feathers._

It's not as if I haven't tried to stop. At first, I'd banish any erotic thought pertaining to her by thinking of fiends I've killed, the taste of rotten egg sandwiches, the mental picture of my grandmother knitting. Eventually, I dismissed these acts as futile. Why bother? Nothing seemed to help.

I still woke from a restless sleep, just snapping out of a dream of her lying beneath me, breath short and moaning in pleasure. Lying back on my bedroll, images still flashed through my mind of her long blonde hair spread helter-skelter across my pillow. Closing my eyes wouldn't stop the darkness from shifting into fantasies of her supple breasts feeling like heaven beneath my hands.

_For the sake of all that is holy, please stop._

In any case, it is not as if I'd ever act on these impulses. I have too much a sense of pride, honor, something akin to justice. Still, I've not much left for this world, and there's nothing wrong with a few fantasies here and there. So long as I don't act on it. So long as I never actually do sweep her off her feet in the middle of battle, carry her somewhere secluded and proceed to fuck her like there's no tomorrow.

She'll never know, and I'll pass onto the Farplane far before I'll ever act on this ravenous and increasingly maddening lust. Even if it drives me insane - which it is slowly doing - I'll be dead long before that ever happens.

_You're hopeless._

Because, really, all it is is lust… right?


	2. Innocent Thief

**Author's Note**:Welcome, one and all, to part two of three of "Unresolved Sexual Tension!" Thank you so much for your kind reviews, I really appreciate the support! Shortly after the conclusion of this trilogy will come an AuRikku one-shot, and then I guess we'll see where things take us! I'll try to reply to all your reviews in the last installment, which should be out before long! (Officially marking this as the first story I've _ever_ finished, but let's not count our chocobos before they've hatched, eh?)

**Disclaimer**: _Final Fantasy X _and _X-2_ and their respective characters, settings, etc. copyright Square Enix.

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"Unresolved Sexual Tension"

**Chapter Two: Innocent Thief**

_Something is wrong with you._

_Seriously._

Oh, poopie, why won't my conscience shut up! I mean, doesn't it think I know that? Stupid voice of reason, who asked it for its opinion, anyway?

_Your conscience doesn't need an invitation, you pervert._

I am not a pervert! It's not my fault I find him incredibly attractive! You can't deny that something about the way he swings his sword just makes your knees go to jelly. Besides, if anyone is to blame, it's Gippal. He's the one who just up and ran off to join the Crimson Squad, leaving me at Home, all lonely and sexually frustrated.

_He's got **grey hair.**_

I don't care if he has grey hair. Personally, I think it's handsome. Besides, I've got more hormones than you can shake a stick at, and nowhere to put them. Not to mention, being in a pilgrimage, it's not like I'm going to get to meet many guys, so why can't I just have my fun?

_You're fifteen. He's fifty._

He is not. Well, actually, I don't really know how old he is. And I don't really care! Have you seen him? Something about him just makes you want to tear off all his clothes – of which there are many – and have your way with him.

_There are plenty of guys out there. Why can't you be normal and lust over Tidus like other teenaged girls?_

If you ask me, my conscience is the perverted one. Tidus is like a brother to me, not to mention it's quite obvious him and Yuna are a thing. The other men in the pilgrimage don't really have great prospects, but even if it weren't for all that, I'd still be attracted to him.

Not that I can understand why. We're completely different. He's arrogant and stoic and gloomy and responsible. I'm cheerful and happy and hyper and fun. I guess it's like that silly old saying: "opposites attract." And we sure couldn't be more opposite.

_The age gap really doesn't disturb you at all, does it?_

It did, at first. Shortly after we got acquainted at the Moonflow, I started having all these… well, sexual dreams. Man, was that ever weird. I tried to stop thinking about it by recalling all the machina assembly instructions I had ever read, or by visualizing someone scraping their nails on a chalkboard. Nothing seemed to help, though, so eventually I just stopped trying.

And people wonder why I'm so hyperactive. Hello, it's from all these raging teenage hormones!

_I've said it before and I'll say it again: something is wrong with you._

That's probably true, so why aren't I more concerned?

_Because you're insa-_

Yesterday didn't help, either. We were fighting a chimera in Macalania Woods, and I went into battle. I can't say I was really all that prepared, but can you blame me? All this unresolved sexual tension is starting to make me really hyper, and I just had to burn off some energy. Anyway, I get in there, ready to kick butt and take names, when this stupid fiend comes out of nowhere and knocks me back with a snake tail.

Snake tail! Not that three heads aren't enough to keep track of, but then out pops a snake for a tail? Can you really blame me for not expecting that?

Anywho, I go flying backwards and wind up hitting something. For a second, I blacked out, and I thought I was dead. But then I felt something soft beneath me. And it was rising, slowly, and then just as slowly falling. I realized it was a person breathing. I could tell, judging by the amount of hard muscle and idiotic number of clothing layers, that I was lying on _him. _As in _straddling._

What happened next, I couldn't have stopped. I should have, and if I could go back, I would have, but I just… couldn't have. I mean, out of nowhere comes the musky aroma of ginger and that genuine man scent, and I was lost.

I sniffed.

I wasn't particularly obvious about it, mind you. I mean, it's not like I just stuck my nose in his hair and said, "Hey, guy, mind if I take a whiff? About another one for the road!" but I'm sure he noticed. I felt him stiffen slightly beneath me, and I knew that he knew. I quickly scrambled off him, muttering apologies and trying my hardest to hide the warmth rising in my cheeks.

Still, I can thank the encounter for supplying me with an entirely new batch of fantasies.

_Can I talk now, O Nubile One?_

Still, it's not like I'll ever do anything about it. After all, my conscience is right.

_Thank yo-_

Not that that's really the reason.

_I hate you._

I mean, ultimately, it's not like he feels the same way, right? Soon the pilgrimage will be over, and we can all go our separate ways, and I'll never see him again. So as long as I wait it out and let my hormones mellow down, I'll be good as new. I'll just go to sleep at night, have my little but incredibly sexual dreams, and before you know it, I'll wake up and it won't matter anymore.

Because, after all, it's not like I'd ever _really_ drag him into a secluded corner of the forest, rip off all his clothing, pin him to the ground and start going at it like a cait sith in heat.

Yeah, I can stave off hormones. After all, I'm too tough to be outsmarted by those silly things.

_I give up._

After all, it's just lust… right?


	3. Conscience Sedation

**Author's Note**: Hello, all, this here be the conclusion of the trilogy "Unresolved Sexual Tension!" I'm so happy you were all here to join the ride, and I thank each and every last one of you for taking the time to read and review! After this, I'll be submitting a new AuRikku one-shot, and following that, most likely, a continuation (or alternate ending) of this story. It will be a lemon, so for those not fond of such things, thou hast been warned. In any case, I'm happy you're here and I hope you enjoy the conclusion! It's slightly longer, but for good reason. ;) 

**In Other News**: Break out the poprocks and pink champagne, people! This is officially the first story (of over fifteen I've started _and_ submitted) that I have ever finished! Everybody dance! We're gonna party like it's 1999! And _then_ we're gonna party like I just finished my story! Woo!

**Disclaimer**: _Final Fantasy X _and _X-2_ and their respective characters, settings, etc. copyright Square Enix.

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"Unresolved Sexual Tension" 

**Chapter Three: Conscience Sedation**

In a small inn in Macalania, Tidus muttered some thanks to the merchant at the counter and returned to the motley group. "He says there's not enough vacancy to accommodate all of us. Something about a traveling band of musicians or something. We'll have to split into pairs and go two to a room."

The others considered this, before they each began pairing off. Rikku quickly ran over to her cousin, but was stopped in her tracks as a blonde boy stepped in front of her.

"Hey!"

Ignoring the irate fifteen year old, Tidus smiled at Yuna. "Wanna share a room?"

The summoner blushed but returned his smile. "Sure."

"Oh, poopie," Rikku muttered as the two began talking of other things, Tidus making jokes and Yuna giggling. Looking around, the Al Bhed girl discovered everyone had already paired up. Everyone besides...

"Looks like Rikku's stuck with Auron!" teased Tidus, elbowing Rikku in the back. She blushed in response, refusing to meet the gaze of the legendary guardian.

"Maybe I'll just sleep in the hall..." she mumbled under her breath, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lulu scolded.

"Lulu's right, ya? You'd just complain about how much it hurt to sleep on the floor. Be fair to us!" Wakka laughed.

The teasing was replaced by idle conversation before everyone decided it was time to go to their respective rooms. Auron was handed the key to theirs, but seemed as nonchalant and stoic as ever.

_Jeeze, doesn't anything make that guy uncomfortable?_ Rikku wondered, though her mind soon returned to the thought of sharing a room with Auron. _Me and Auron. Auron and me. In a room. Together. An inn room. Alone. Inn. Alone. Auron. Me._ Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear her conscience screaming bloody murder.

Lost in her thoughts, she was snapped out of her daze when she heard a door open.

"Oh, we're here," she mumbled stupidly. Auron grunted, opening the door and flicking on the light switch.

The room was quaint but nicely furnished. A little too many Yevon weavings for her liking, but it was cozy. There was a mirror on the adjacent wall, as well as two comfortable armchairs by the entrance that were accompanied by a coffee table. She spied the door that led to the bathroom, a closet and two nicely decorated nightstands on either side of the bed. Coming to a realization, Rikku nearly fainted. One bed.

_One bed. Inn. Alone. Room. Auron. Me. Bed. Auron plus me plus bed equals..._ the blonde shook her head, trying to rid herself of the plethora of inappropriate thoughts flooding her mind. Snapping back to reality, she noticed the guardian being unusually quiet.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked.

Placing his glasses and sake bottle on the nightstand and leaning his sword against the wall, he gave her an odd look. "I'm fine."

Rikku glanced at her shoes, trying not to look ridiculous. "It's just that you haven't said anything since we got to the inn..."

_Maybe because I'm stuck in a tiny room with the sexiest woman in Spira and I'm trying very hard not to suggest playing "find the teacup in the bed sheet."_ Auron blinked hard, trying to purge his mind of such thoughts. Glancing back at Rikku, he shrugged. "You can have the bed," he said, changing the subject.

The girl suddenly found it very difficult to not yell, "Hey, I'm a hormonally charged teenager and you're incredibly hot! Why don't we share?" Instead, she opted for a sullen nod.

"Why are you blushing?" Auron asked, sounding incredulous, after a few moments of awkward silence. Glancing at her reflection in the nearby mirror, Rikku noticed that she was, in fact, blushing. Her reddening cheeks deepened to a rosier color, and she stumbled to think of an alibi.

"Um... uh... it's just weird... you know..." she muttered, stumbling over her words and feeling like a fool.

Auron made a 'hmph' sound. _Told you she thinks you're a pervert,_ his mind gloated.

Still blushing profusely, Rikku quickly set her things down on a nearby armchair and busied herself with avoiding his gaze. _Way to play it smooth. Told you he's too old to think of you that way,_ her conscience scolded.

Uncomfortable seconds ticked by, turning into long minutes. They each stood at opposite ends of the room, the silence seeming deafening.

_This has got to stop,_ thought Rikku with resolve. She looked up, only to realize that he had been observing her all along. She blushed again, and Auron cleared his throat uncomfortably, looking away.

"Um..." Rikku began, unsure of what to say.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Auron stated flatly.

_Now or never,_ the Al Bhed girl repeated like a mantra, knowing the longer she waited, the smaller the window of opportunity became. Even if he didn't feel the same way, she had to get it out of her before it ate her alive. Auron made his way to the closet to get out an extra blanket and pillows, and before she knew it, the words came spilling out.

"Why don't we share the bed?" she blurted, much louder than she had hoped and sounding more than a little ridiculous. Auron stopped what he was doing, turning around almost mechanically and regarding her with a look of the curiosity, the likes of which she had never seen painted on his face before. _Oh, shit._

"What?" he asked, sounding completely dumbfounded. The change from his normally monotone made Rikku even more uncomfortable.

"Um... I... uh..." She scratched the back of her neck, unsure of how to proceed. _What in Spira do I do now? Maybe I should open the window and throw myself out. Yeah, that seems like a good idea. Then it'll be like this never happened. Genius!_

"What did you just say?" he asked again, his mind working overtime, the mental cogs spinning wildly until they all came loose and exploded in a flurry of naughty images. _Did she just say what I think she just said?_

"Why don't we... share the bed?" Rikku muttered again, almost inaudible. His trained ears picked it up, however, and his eyes widened even more.

"... Sure..." he responded warily, though trying to appear unfazed. Rikku looked up, eyes locking with his, and this time it was her turn to be surprised.

"Really?" she squealed, once again unable to stop the words. _Darn it, Rikku, think before you speak! Better yet, just shut up!_

Auron nodded in response, but the air remained awkward and neither of them dared to move a muscle. Rikku felt like you could cut then tension in the air with a knife, and even felt odd just breathing.

Heaving a rather large internal sigh, the Al Bhed decided she would be the grown-up. Taking the initiative, she walked over to the bed and sat clumsily on one side. Grumbling something below his breath, Auron followed her lead and sat on the other side, stoic and unreadable.

She was on a bed. With Sir Auron. She wasn't _in_ bed with Sir Auron, but she considered it progress. _What now?_ she wondered. Tentatively, she inched farther onto the bed, until she was sitting in the middle, legs crossed and staring intently at the blanket. She waited a few moments for Auron to do something, but instead he just sat there, seeming to be lost in thought.

_Don't pounce on her,_ he repeated in his mind. _Don't do anything. She's innocent; she doesn't know what she's doing. She just doesn't want you to sleep on the floor. Just sit here and eventually she'll get too uncomfortable and tell you to sleep on the floor anyway. Just wait it out. Do not pounce. Do not pounce._

"Auron?" she asked, snapping him out of his mental disciplining. He turned to her.

"Hmm?"

Locking gazes with him, Rikku searched her mind for the right words. _Tell him. Do something. Don't just sit here like a retarded cactuar, do something!_

He looked at her questioningly and she lost her patience. "Oh, clnaf ed," she muttered, before leaning forward and placing her lips on his. Her eyes closed, all she concentrated on was the feel of his lips against hers. They were rough, a little dry, and yet soft. Exactly how she thought they would be.

Seconds passed that felt like an eternity, and she felt no reaction from him. As a blush rose to her cheeks and spread to her ears, she began to pull away. Suddenly, she felt a rough hand on the back of her neck that pulled her back in, and she felt his lips press onto hers with unexpected force. For a moment, Rikku thought she might melt away into a little Al Bhed puddle of joy before evaporating into a cloud of cheer. If she died at that moment, she knew she'd die happy.

Thoughts turning back to the current - and most unbelievable - situation, she felt his tongue slowly part her lips. As it met hers, his kiss became more dominant, but somehow Rikku liked it. He tasted even better than he smelled: spicy, like ginger and cinnamon, but sweet in the way of red wine. She felt another hand on her lower back, bringing her closer before the distance between them was bridged, their chests pressed against each other.

Auron felt as if he had passed away and was now in the most luxurious corner of the Farplane. He could hardly believe any of it was really happening, but her sweet taste of strawberries and hazel and sugar reminded him exactly where he was. Beneath the hand he had rested on her neck, he could feel her pulse quicken, and against his chest could feel her heart beating swiftly, mirroring the speed of his.

Soon, Auron broke for air. Rikku whimpered, though she was panting as well. The guardian couldn't help but smirk at her reaction.

"Sharing the bed seems like a good idea," he whispered. Rikku nodded feverishly, and he dipped his head in again to kiss her. Raising her hand, she placed two fingers on his lips to stop him.

"I think I like you," she found herself whispering, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. Tipping her chin up gently with his hand, Auron placed a soft kiss on her lips. He broke away, looking her straight in the eyes with an emotion she couldn't place.

"I think I like you, too," he replied. His voice wasn't particularly emotional, as she had imagined, but it was strangely fitting. She knew that he was being truthful, and glad he had said it in such an Auron-like way.

Not moments later, lips met again and hands roved bodies. In the back of two separate minds, two individual consciences sat idly, shaking their little heads. In perfect unison, they heaved a heavy sigh, but strangely couldn't help smiling.


End file.
